


Untouchable

by shipsgalore



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7646884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipsgalore/pseuds/shipsgalore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andrew thinks that he could live the rest of his life if it meant that he could keep Neil by his side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untouchable

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to think that Neil is just as unforgiving in the department when it comes to knocking sense into his bf so here are my 3 am thoughts

There was a time when Andrew looked at Neil and couldn’t help the all encompassing feeling of anger and hatred at the simple fact of Neil being the most untouchable creature to have waltzed into his life. His shoulder stance read _danger: proceed with caution_. His mouth spouted lie after lie after lie until he started throwing insults and lightly covered threats. Neil Josten was almost as untouchable as the sky.

+++

There was a time when Andrew had shoved at Neil when he’d punched the asshat that spoke to Andrew as if he was a play thing, because he did not need some runaway trying to protect him. The heat that spread through his hand and up his arm to the nerve endings at the back of his neck was shoved down almost as fast as Neil’s temper flared.

“Keep walking, Abram, I’m not picking your ass up off the ground when you get the shit beat out of you.” Neil had growled something under his breath, him barely missing the bar stool when he’d put a few inches between them.

“Fucking say it again, asshole, and we’ll see how far your ego can keep you from death.” The guy went to open his mouth not taking Neil’s threat seriously and the smile that crossed Neil’s face was not one of happiness, but one that spoke to the part of him that he’d tried to push so far down that when it reappeared the world blazed. 

And so when Neil punched him, the silent sound of bone crunching in Eden’s was the only sound Andrew heard because he knew, oh god how did he know, that Neil wouldn’t stop there. So he shoved his shoulder in the direction of the bar. 

“Either take a walk or go round up the others.” Andrew gripped the guy by the throat when Neil walked away and had one of his knives pressed between his third and fourth rib. 

“Move and it punctures your lung; move and I make sure you don’t breathe long enough to call out for help. You’re not very smart are you? No, don’t answer that because if you were we wouldn’t be in the place we are would we. 

“I don’t like threatening people, nor do I like having to bandage up the baby’s wounds, but I’ll make an exception for you. Fucking breathe a single word out of your homophobic mouth in here again and I’ll do more than prick your skin, understood?” He let go and walked away before the guy could answer and found the rest of them standing outside the club. 

Neil slept on the couch that night because Andrew didn’t like the warm feeling that settled in his stomach after he’d bandaged Neil’s hand. 

+++

There was a time that during Neil’s fourth year and Andrew’s fifth that the feeling of the future of _them_ loomed too close and he shut down. He shut down and everything that happened at practice could only be blamed on the absolute mess that was going on inside his own head. 

“Minyard, I swear to God if you don’t stop fucking trying to take out my player’s you’re going to have more to worry about than midterms!” Wymack shouted from the open door, him having called practice to a brief stop so that he could threaten Andrew. He slammed his stick against the plexiglass and lifted his head in response; _fuck you_.

Neil was in his place halfway down the court and slammed the bottom of his stick to the ground in warning at Andrew. The low growl that left his throat was unheard, but the finger he stuck up at Neil was well received and he dropped his stick and tore off his helmet as well.

“Everybody out, practice is over!” Neil pointed his helmet in Andrew’s direction and shook his head. Practice was over for everybody but them. Andrew could play whatever game he wanted to now. Neil left and returned with a bucket of balls after the others cleared from the court.

They all seemed to have reached the same conclusion that Neil and Andrew were going to fight on the court in the only way they knew how, so even though practice was called to an end they stood outside the court and watched as Neil shot ball after ball towards the goal only to have them rebounded towards his shins or feet. Andrew avoided hitting his helmet because he was still recovering from a mild concussion he’d received in a game three weeks ago.

Well known to the game Neil could avoid the hits easily. He started running after them after the second time recollecting them all and each time he kept getting closer to the goal. Andrew sucked in a breath before Neil checked him into the plexiglass and the burning in his lungs felt better than the dark thoughts swirling through his head.

“Get the fuck out of your head, asshole, because I’m right here and we have until you tell me to leave, so knock it off,” Neil growled not moving from where he’d stepped back after Andrew collapsed to the ground. Andrew let the words settle in the air around them and sat in silence before he tapped his head against the barrier a few minutes later so that Neil would walk over to take off his helmet for him.

“That was rude.” Andrew bites out and Neil taps two fingers to his temple with a smirk forming on his face. “The next time you want to get physical take it up with your hand.”

“You wound me with your harsh words.”

“I could say the same for you, Junkie.” Andrew ripped off his gloves and threw them at Neil who caught them and tucked them under his arm.

“We're not going to ever talk about our feelings, not in the way other people do, Drew, and you know it. Checking you was aggressive, but it got you out of you head. I'm not sure what's been bothering you, but I'm still _here_. I want to be here, okay? Are we good?” _Are you okay?_ Andrew nodded and lifted a hand for Neil to drag him up. Everybody had dispersed after Neil had checked him into the wall so Andrew kept a firm grip on their entwined hands until they had to split to their lockers. 

+++

There was going to be a time when Andrew was pleasantly surprised. And there was going to a time when Andrew felt blood course through every part of his being. There was going to be a time when Andrew would laugh hard enough that it surprised him so heavily that he fell out of the queen sized bed. There were going to be good times and bad times, harsh times and gentle times. 

But Andrew thinks that when those times come, he knew that Neil would be the cause of most of them and he would also be the one to sooth the harsh burns and have him forget the bad times for a while. Andrew thinks that he could live the rest of his life if it meant that he could keep Neil by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> come yell with me on [tumblr](http://neiljostm.tumblr.com/)


End file.
